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Summer Reading List

It’s time for summer vacations and beach days which means more time to read. Here are a few suggestions that I’m sure you’ll want to add to your summer reading list.

1. Getty Up Eunice, Because Women Need Each Otherby Sophie Hutson | It’s my favorite of all of Sophie’s books because it is the perfect blend of her humor and stories combined with reminding us how much women need each other at all stages of life.

3. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley | After the private jet he’s aboard crashes of Martha’s Vineyard, painter Scott Burroughs makes it to shore, rescuing JJ, the young son of the cable news chief who’s among the lost. Then, with media hounds and JJ’s guardians trying to uncover why the plane crashed, a relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

4. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler | Fresh from nowhere, Tess lands a job at New York’s best restaurant and is intoxicated by the food. It’s a love story about the addictive pull of restaurant life and the temporary families playing strange power games and enjoying pretend intimacy. This novel will give you a better appreciation for the people who bring you your food and clean up when you’ve finished.

5. The Wiregrass by Pam Webber | Nettie has spent every summer of her life in the Southern Wiregrass town of Crystal Springs, Alabama. Nettie meets Mitchell, a seductively handsome yet secretive young man, who turns Nettie’s summer plans and her heart upside down. As their relationship grows, Nettie realizes Mitchell is harboring a dark and dangerous secret that rocks the core of the sleepy little town and has Nettie and those she loves running for their lives.

6. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth | Psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research, Angela explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Angela has found that grit, a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal, is the hallmark of high achievers in every domain.

7. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman | Ove is a grumpy older man that lives a very structured life. He takes regular morning walks and notes every little detail that violates the homeowner rules. However, Ove also has a sadness about him that explains a lot. One day, a couple with young children moves next door to Ove and turns his world upside-down. The family manages to break through Ove’s rough facade and show the kindness that really exists inside the man. The story is set in Sweden, and there are various references to everyday life in Scandinavia too which make it feel different and fresh. A Man Called Ove would make a fantastic book club selection. There is a reading guide available with seventeen questions as well as some ideas for how to enhance your meeting.

8. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintos | After a tragic accident leaves Jenna Gray’s world turned upside down, she attempts to rebuild her life in a remote town to get away from the grief and the memories of the past. Meanwhile, the police team invests excessive time and resources to attempt to uncover what really happened that night. I highly recommend I Let You Go if you enjoyed Girl on the Train and Gone Girl.

9. Hope Heals: A True Story of Overwhelming Loss and an Overcoming Love by Katherine and Jay Wolf | Katherine Wolf suffered a massive brain stem stroke when her son was only six months old. The months that followed were filled with terrifying moments as she relearned almost everything, from how to eat to how to walk. There were a lot of dark moments during that time. This book reminds all of us where hope can be found in a world where none of us knows what the next day holds.

10. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick | The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a story about the many forms of grief and how to overcome. It begins on the first anniversary of the death of Arthur’s wife, Miriam. Sorting through Miriam’s possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met and on a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places.

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The cover of that Arthur Pepper one caught my attention right away… don’t know whether judging by the cover will be misleading, but the type of design reminds me of some other books I’ve liked so I might have to give it a try! And I’ve heard a lot of interviews with the author of Grit lately – interesting. I’m excited to read the new Liane Moriarty book coming out this summer, and right now I’m reading Jane Steele, another good summer read.

robin

Hello Marla, I definitely need to add a few of these recommendations to my summer reading list! I am an avid reader of Angela Duckworth. I had the pleasure of hearing her speak at a conference in Philadelphia a few years back. She is phenomenal and her research is fascinating! GRIT is changing the world of admissions!